The King of Comedy (1982)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writer:

Paul D. Zimmerman (written by)

Release Date:

18 February 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Crime

Tagline:

. . and when it's all over one of them won't be laughing

Plot:

Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin wants to achieve success in showbiz, by resorting to stalking his idol, a late night talk show host who craves his own privacy.

Plot Keywords:

Life Magazine | Box Office Flop | Conversations | Tied To Chair | Taxi

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Robert De Niro	...	Rupert Pupkin
Jerry Lewis	...	Jerry Langford
Diahnne Abbott	...	Rita Keane
Sandra Bernhard	...	Masha
Shelley Hack	...	Cathy Long
Ed Herlihy	...	Ed Herlihy
Lou Brown	...	Band leader
Loretta Tupper	...	Stage Door Fan
Peter Potulski	...	Stage Door Fan
Vinnie Gonzales	...	Stage Door Fan
Whitey Ryan	...	Stage Door Guard
Doc Lawless	...	Chauffeur
Marta Heflin	...	Young Girl
Katherine Wallach	...	Autograph Seeker
Charles Kaleina	...	Autograph Seeker

Also Known As:

King of Comedy (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Rei da Comédia, O (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Valse des pantins, La (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
A Komédia királya (Hungary) [hu]
Kahkahalar krali (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Konungur grínsins (Iceland) [is]
Koomikkojen kuningas (Finland) [fi]
Król komedii (Poland) [pl]
Kralj komedije (Serbia) [sr]
Melech Ha-Comedia (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Re per una notte (Italy) [it]
Rei de la comèdia, El (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Rey de la comedia, El (Spain) [es]
Vasilias gia mia nyhta (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Brazil:12 | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG | Canada:14A | Finland:S | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Embassy International Pictures

Trivia:

In preparation for his role, Robert De Niro studied Richard Belzer's stand-up comedy acts.

Goofs:

Continuity: The position that Jerry is facing as Rupert chats with him in the limousine.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Ed Herlihy: And now, from New York, The Jerry Langford Show! With Jerry's guests Tony Randall, Richard Dreyfuss, Rodney Dangerfield, Dr. Joyce Brothers, Lou Brown and the orchestra, and little old me Ed Herlihy. And now say hello to Jerry!

Movie Connections:

References The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Soundtrack:

Rainbow Sleeves

"Taxi Driver" with comedy? It works!

"Better to be king for a night than a schmuck for a lifetime."

As Travis Bickle's universally known line of dialogue from "Taxi Driver" has a deep meaning ("Are you talkin' to me? Well I'm the only one here"), Rupert Pupkin's closing speech of his first-ever standup comedy routine in "The King of Comedy" finalizes the entire meaning of the film, wrapping it up in one short sentence. Is it better to have one great day versus nothing? Do the ends justify the means? Two questions all of us ask ourselves at one point of time in our life.

The comparisons to Travis Bickle seem stronger on paper than they do in the film. The most striking resemblance between the two stories is that both contain the central theme of a man snapping and doing something apparently crazy. Both films star Robert De Niro, and both are directed by Martin Scorsese, which makes for an interesting discussion of relation. Some may even say that it's a sequel in sorts.

Rupert Pupkin (De Niro) is a lonely man whose daily life and routines consist around one man: Jerry Langston, a talk show host and comedian who is followed by a horde of rabid fans, including Masha (Sandra Bernhard), a fan to rival Pupkin, who admits that he has waited nine hours at a time outside Jerry's recording studio to catch a glimpse of him as he is shoved into limos by fancy bodyguards.

Rupert is given a rare opportunity to speak to Jerry one day as he saves him from Masha, who assaulted Jerry with kisses and hugs. It is as they drive away together and Rupert talks to Jerry that he proposes his long-time dream, which is to appear on Jerry's show as an aspiring standup comic. Of course, he's had no experience. But Rupert swears he would be great on stage -- he's studied Jerry for years and knows timing.

Langston gets these psychos all the time, but he doesn't realize just how strong a fan Rupert is until he shows up at his private home with suitcases and a girl claiming to have been invited. "I made a mistake," Rupert says. "So did Hitler," Jerry barks.

Jerry Lewis plays Jerry Langston in a self-referential (and very unflattering) role. It's his finest to date. The guy is a scumbag who barely tolerates fans and is cruel. Lewis has lost his manic, energetic, annoying comedy rituals seen in films such as "The Nutty Professor" and has moved on to real acting that demands true skill. Gone are the squeaky voice and the crossed eyes. Here is perhaps the wretched soul who really exists behind Jerry Lewis, as we know him.

All of us exaggerate, but Rupert does so to an extreme. After being shoved out of Jerry's limo the night of their confrontation with an invitation to call Jerry's secretary to schedule a meeting, Rupert shows up at Jerry's office claiming to have an appointment. "Is Jerry expecting you?" he is asked by a clerk. "Yes, I don't think so," Rupert says.

Jerry and his workers, who deny his taped comedy routine that we never hear until the end, shun Rupert. "Oh, I see, this is what happens to people like you from all of this!" Rupert yells at Jerry. "No," he replies. "I've always been like this."

So Rupert breaks down and kidnaps Jerry with the help of Masha, demanding a spot on his TV show as a ransom payment. He commands that he will be referenced to as "The King of Comedy" (hence the title), and to further demonstrate the innocence of Rupert's character, when he shows up, he fails to see the gravity of the offence he has just committed.

Rupert is twisted, as you may have guessed by now, but not in a Travis Bickle kind of way. He doesn't see the bad in the world -- he's oblivious to it. "You're so naive!" Masha tells him. I wouldn't be surprised if he took it as a compliment.

Rupert lives in complete isolation, kept locked up with his mother and living his life by what he says on TV. His dialogue and mannerisms are all clichéd -- he says the kind of stuff one would expect a poorly written film to feature. When he tries to impress a female bartender, and when he tries to make small talk with Jerry, he frightens both individuals (similar to Travis Bickle frightening Senator Palantine and the Secret Service Agent).

As Rupert takes the stage at the end of the film, his entire dreams have been laid forth in front of him and he takes them by the throat. It is in that truly startling moment we've all been waiting for when we learn that Rupert is not only funny, but pretty darn talented. If the movie had used Rupert's life-long dreams as the butt end of a joke, if he had turned out to be an absolutely horrid comedian (which is what I honestly thought would happen), the film would have little effect. But as a filmgoer and critic, it ranks as one of the most surprising scenes I have ever laid eyes on.

5/5 stars.

- John Ulmer